Not Always Easy
by T2 Angel
Summary: Sequel to "Friends Never Forget." Wolverine is still dealing with the mental and emotional fallout from his time travels. After an argument with Storm, Wolverine discusses his problems with Yukio in order to come to terms with life as he now knows it. Sequel to "X-Men: Days of Future Past" & "The Wolverine." One-Shot. Storm/Wolverine. Rated T for Language.


**A/N: Hello! Greetings! And hi! How are you guys doing?! Here is my third X-Men story following the stories I wrote set after "X-Men: Days of Future Past."  
**

 **Also, I was trying to remember who I reworked Yukio's powers from because I know there was an mutant who could remember shifts in timelines and realities and I finally remember who it was:** **LAYLA MILLER! You guys have no idea how long that drove me crazy! I re-read "House of M" and I finally remembered it was her. Irony abounds.**

 **Anyway, that's enough from me! Enjoy the story!**

* * *

 **Not Always Easy  
**

Logan was eating dinner in the kitchen when Jean walked in. He looked up and found himself staring at her. He couldn't stop himself, no matter how much he wanted to. His mind flashed back to the days of Alcatraz when he was forced to kill her, the dreams of her before and during his time in Japan, and how he first saw her after resetting the timeline.

"Hey, Logan," Jean smiled at him.

He subtly snapped of his gaze and nodded at her, "Hey, Jean." He looked down at his plate and ran his hand over his face.

This was not what expected after coming back from the past and changing everything.

He looked up and Jean was gone but Storm was staring directly at him. He didn't know how much he saw but he could see it in her eyes: she saw enough and there was a problem. "Oh, hell."

* * *

A while later, Logan walked into his room and was about to close the door when Storm stopped him, "Somewhere in your mind, did you actually think we weren't going to talk about this?"

"Talk about what?" Logan asked.

She walked in and shut the door behind her. She folded her arms, "I saw you, Logan."

"You can see me now."

"You wanna go that way? Fine. Here's it is: you're still in love with Jean."

He tensed up, immediately, "That's bull and you know it."

"Logan. I have eyes. I saw how you looked at her."

"It was for five seconds and that was it."

"And that's the way I want you to look at me."

"You think I don't?"

"You're not right now."

"It's because you're bringing up this stupid subject!" he growled.

Storm shook her head. "Some part of you still loves her, is still struggling with this. Can't you admit that?"

"No. There's nothing to admit."

"Logan." She took a breath. "I understand if you're still struggling. It was all… recent for you. I get that this is hard for you. I just need to know that you won't… go after her or anything." She shook her head. "I need to know that this is real, that _we_ are real, and not just some… knee jerk reaction."

He stared at her then looked away, "Great. Just great, I tell you the damn truth and now you think I want another woman." He walked past her, "Great. Thanks, Storm. Thanks for understanding."

"Logan…"

He walked out the door and slammed it behind him, having had enough of this conversation.

Storm just exhaled, wondering how they would get through this mess.

* * *

Beast was hanging upside down from the railing in the library, reading while Yukio sat at the table.

"I do believe that Poe was the most tragic literary figure of all time," Beast said.

Yukio smiled, "I think that Hemingway would disagree with you, McCoy- _sensei_."

Beast chuckled. They heard heavy footsteps coming from the hall and saw Logan walk past in simmering rage.

"Well, he seemed angry," Beast remarked as he dropped from the railing and landed next to Yukio.

"He always does," Yukio replied. "But this is different." She closed her book and picked up her kodachi. "Another time, McCoy- _sama_?"

"Of course, my dear." He bowed toward her, " _Konbanwa_."

She smiled and bowed back, " _Konbanwa, sensei_." She hurried out of the library after Logan.

* * *

Yukio followed Logan out to the garden where he was smoking a cigar while standing by a large tree. She exhaled; she knew that whatever happened next, this was going to be a long night.

" _Daijobudesu ka_ , Logan- _san_?" Yukio asked as she approached.

"I'm fine," he answered in a gruff voice. "Go back inside, kid."

"What is the history of me listening to you?"

"20-2 so far."

"Two?"

"I'm guessing. I don't pay attention."

"I am so shocked," Yukio said, sarcastically. She hopped on the sloped tree trunk and sat down on it. "What is the problem?"

Logan took another puff. "Just an argument with me and Storm. That's all."

"Oh, _nantekottai_! What did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything, dammit! Why would you think I…" He caught her stare and sighed. "Alright, I'll give you that."

She shook her head, "What did you do?"

He rolled his eyes. "Storm thinks I'm still in love with Jean."

"Professor Grey?" She thought back. "Oh, yes. The days past."

He nodded. "Yeah. The days past." It's what they all agreed to call the timeline that Logan reset to make things easier for them as they are the only two who remember them.

"It's somewhat expected," she shrugged. "Life happened that way."

"I'm not in love with Jean anymore."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

Logan ignored her and looked away.

Yukio realized something. "It's both."

"Are you done?"

"Not even close. You need to be honest with yourself, Logan- _san_. Only then can you be honest with Storm- _sama_."

He exhaled. He took another deep drag of his cigar. "I was supposed to be over this already. I was once. Jean was dead. And I dealt with it."

"Now, she's alive but you love Storm."

Logan glared at Yukio.

She didn't back down. "Don't be surprised. If you didn't love Storm, you wouldn't be talking to me."

"What's that mean?"

"You only talk to me when something in this world confuses you. I'm your… anchor to all you used to know."

"That's not the only reason you're around, kid. I don't want you to think that."

She smiled and nodded. " _Hai_. I'll keep that mind."

He took another drag. "But, fine, I admit it. It's not like I don't love Storm. It's just… complicated. That's all."

"Then, explain it to me."

"Are you really gonna listen?"

"This time, yes. I have to. Besides Storm- _sama_ , who else listens to you?"

"Good point." Logan removed his cigar, dropped it on the ground, and ground into the dirt with his heel. "This was supposed to be simple. Save the world, set the timeline to something better, over and done."

"And isn't it? Better, I mean."

"No shit it's better, but that's part of the problem. I remember everything about the old world."

"So do I."

"Then you get this problem. I can't just turn everything off. It's not like when I didn't remember my own past and who I was before I got the adamantium. And, hell, I even remember that now, too."

"You told me."

"But now… I have two lives-worth of memories and emotions. Damn near three. Storm wants me to turn them off like I have a damn switch."

"Storm is many things but that unreasonable seems unlikely."

"Women are like that."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Out of respect, Logan- _san_ , I'm going to, as you say, let that slide."

"You know what I mean."

"Exactly why I'm letting it slide."

Logan grunted. He pulled out another cigar and lit it.

Yukio exhaled. "You need to explain all of this to her!"

"I don't know how. Okay? I admit it! That's my problem. I'm not exactly experienced in dealing with things like this, in case you didn't notice!"

She smiled. "I noticed."

He took a puff of the cigar. "So… there it is."

She stared at him for a long time. Logan was had moments where was either very hard to figure out or far too easy to read. Sometimes, that shifted within a minute. This was one of those instances of both. "You want to make this better for you both? The best way to do it, from my experience, is to open your mouth and start talking."

Logan stared at her for a long time. She was right. But he couldn't come right out and say it. "Ya know? That accent doesn't make you any less of an asshole."

She smiled. "I provide many services. If I'm required to be irritating, I will be."

"You've always been a smartass, when did it get _this_ bad?"

"Too much time around you. Oh! And Cyclops told me to."

Logan stared at her then reapplied his cigar. "Asshole."

"Which one?"

"Both of you." He paused then gave a quick shrug, "And, hell, while I'm at it, both of _us_."

Yukio giggled then studied him. "You'll never put the past behind you by denying it, Logan- _san_."

"Always worked before."

"This is a different world, Logan. Perhaps… you must be a different man to live in it."

He turned and looked at her. He thought about what she just said. "Oh, son of a bitch."

"What is it now?" she asked, exasperated.

"You're right."

She smiled.

"And don't ever tell anyone I told you that."

"I will keep just between us. And McCoy- _sama_."

"Oh, shit, don't tell Beast!"

"Sorry, Logan- _san_. I have to tell someone!"

Logan spit on the ground. "Tell Beast and he'll tell everyone!"

"But he's so quiet!" Yukio smiled.

"Until he goes on a damn tirade about Shakespeare and physics!"

"I do adore how he can combine the two."

Logan paced for a few seconds, stopped, dropped the cigar, and dug it into the ground with his heel. "Yukio."

"Hmm?" She leaned her head to the side.

" _Arigatō gozaimas_ , kid."

She smiled, sweetly. " _Dōitashimashite_ , old man."

He chuckled. "Go inside, kid. I guess I have to apologize."

She hopped off of the tree, "Be sure to wear knee pads as you're begging."

"Shut the hell up," he said as he walked past her.

She laughed and followed him back into the mansion.

* * *

Logan looked back in his room and didn't find Storm. He went to her room and found her door closed. He knocked on the door, "Storm."

No answer.

He exhaled. "Ororo. I just wanna talk." He looked around, awkwardly. "Please."

A second later, Storm opened the door and motioned for him to come in. Once she was inside, she folded her arms, "Alright. Talk."

Logan stumbled around and finally said, "Alright. I made a mistake. I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have stared at Jean like that. I apologize."

She stared at him for a while then shrugged. "That's it?"

"What's 'it'?"

"Is that all you're gonna say?"

"I mean, yeah. Shouldn't it be?"

Storm scoffed and shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

"What?!"

"It wasn't a _mistake_ , Logan."

"Yeah, it was!"

"That's not what I mean! It's more than that and you know it!"

Logan growled, "What do you want me to say?"

Storm put her hands on her hips. "I want you to be honest with me."

He rolled his eyes.

"I know that there is a lot more than just… about what you feel or felt for Jean. Just say that this isn't easy for you all the time. Say that it's hard because of what you went through. Tell me that this isn't easy for you. Tell me how you feel, what you're going through."

He stared at her, silently for a while.

"Please."

He shoved his hands in his pockets and paced for a few seconds. He could hear Yukio's voice in his head, chastising him for not starting off the conversation with everything he knew should've said. He finally gave up as he arguing with two women was a fight he'd never win. He looked back at Storm. "This isn't easy for me all the time."

She smiled.

He growled. "Okay. Yes. Fine. Some part of me still wants Jean but that doesn't mean I'm going after her. And there are a lot of reasons for that. And the number one reason is you."

She smiled wider.

"And… despite everything being… okay, now…" He stopped when he realized that this was, in actuality, very hard to admit it. But he did anyway. "…it's not always easy."

She nodded. "Thank you."

He rolled his eyes. "Are we done here? Can we get past this?"

She walked up to him and pressed her lips to his. "As long as you promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't be afraid to tell me the truth. I know you're in a difficult position, Logan. Trust me to be able to handle that and to handle you."

He sighed. "Alright, alright. I promise."

"Alright. We're good. But we're not done."

He growled. "What?! What did I do now?!"

"You were honest with me. I appreciate that. So… it's not a matter of what you've done because you did it." She waved her hand, causing a gust of wind and closed her door behind him. "It's what you _haven't_ done yet."

He looked at the closed doors, smirked, and looked back at her. "And what haven't I done yet?"

"You're the one with enhanced senses." She sat on her bed. "You tell me."

* * *

 **A/N: Quick guide, by the way:** _ **Daijobudesu ka**_ **: "Are You Okay" in Japanese,** _ **Konbanwa**_ **: "Good evening" in Japanese,** _ **nantekottai**_ **: "what the hell" in Japanese. Just to clarify.  
**

 **So, what did you guys think? I think that is all I will do for X-Men for now but I do think I'll revisit it later. Be sure to hit that favorite, follow, and review button! All of those things make me smile!  
**

 **Oh, and hey! If you wanna keep up with what I'm doing, head on over to my Facebook Page: T2 Angel: Host of Dreams. Give it a like and stay up-to-date with all my fan fic projects and more stuff coming down the pipe.**

 **Thanks a million! T2 Angel out!**


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